Art of Survival for Maui’s dolphin

Wellington, 12 November 2012 –
Fifty-five original artworks, representing the estimated
number of adult Maui’s dolphins left alive, were presented
to key MPs today to highlight that the future of the
dolphin, which faces extinction, is in their
hands.

Greenpeace is calling for an immediate and extended
ban on gillnets, set nets and trawling – the main threats
to Maui’s dolphin – throughout its habitat along of the
west coast of the North Island from Maunganui Bluff (north
of Dargaville) to Whanganui, including harbours and
extending to the 100 meter depth contour.

The edition of
55 handmade woodblock prints were produced by
Wellington-based artist Sheyne Tuffery. They feature
Maui’s dolphin and a tuatara – another New Zealand
species to have faced extinction and now considered a
national treasure. (3)

“The 55 prints represent the
alarmingly small Maui’s dolphin population. As there are
more MPs than adult Maui’s dolphins we aren’t able to
give a print to every politician,” says Greenpeace New
Zealand Oceans Campaigner Karli Thomas.

Greenpeace
invited representatives of all the political parties
including Prime Minister John Key and 41 National MPs to
today’s art presentation. Only 4 MPs attended the formal
event. The remaining 51 prints were delivered by Greenpeace
and the artist to the Beehive. Thomas says the symbolism
of the artworks will depend on the Government’s response
to the Maui’s dolphin crisis.

“If MPs take urgent
action to protect Maui’s dolphin they will be able hang
these beautiful prints in their offices with pride. It will
be the art of survival. On the other hand, if they’re too
slow or if the measures they agree are too weak, they’ll
have a constant reminder of their failure.”

Maui’s
dolphin, the world’s smallest and most endangered marine
dolphin, is found only in New Zealand waters. The latest
population estimate indicates 55 adult Maui’s dolphins
remain. (1)

Two international expert bodies, the
International Whaling Commission and the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature, have called on New Zealand
to take immediate action to protect the critically
endangered species. (2)

“The Government’s response
has been shamefully inadequate. New Zealand is running a
very real risk of becoming the first country to oversee the
extinction of a marine dolphin from human causes,” says
Thomas.

“That would be a huge blow to New Zealand’s
strong record for wildlife conservation, and to our
international reputation.”

Submissions on the
Government’s plans to handle the threats to Maui’s
dolphins closed yesterday. More than 17,600 Greenpeace
supporters alone made submissions.

2)
In 2012 the International Whaling Commission's scientific
committee noted that bycatch in gillnet and trawl fisheries
was the most serious threat to Maui’s dolphins, and
recommended “the immediate implementation of the proposal
by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries to extend
the North Island protected area to approximately 80 km south
of the latest dolphin bycatch site”, and that the
protected areas should extend “offshore to the 100m depth
contour, including the harbours, for gillnet and trawl
fisheries. This would protect part of an area with high
gillnet and trawl fishing effort between the North and South
Islands.” http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2012/2012-07-10-01.html

In
September 2012 the World Conservation Congress of the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature passed an
almost unanimous motion urging New Zealand and Mexico to
urgently protect Maui’s dolphin and vaquita (a porpoise in
Mexico facing a similar threat of extinction). There were
576 country and NGO votes in favour of the motion, and two
votes against it. Each country member has two votes, and the
two "no" votes belonged to New Zealand. Motion available
online:
portals.iucn.org/docs/2012congress/motions/en/M-035-2012-EN.pdf

3)
Artist statement by Sheyne Tuffery. “My work has always
championed the forgotten icons/ species of New Zealand
Aotearoa. The composition I created shows our longest living
resident, the Tuatara, witnessing the Maui’s dolphin
decline, and broadcasts an S.O.S signal to anyone that will
listen. We do not want to lose another endemic species
especially while the world watches us do it.”

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